Valley City State LOS Camp: Camp MVPs and Day 2 Bests

We pile thru another several pages of our notebook from Thursday's session at the Valley City State LOS Camp which has now gone 29 years strong in Valley, yet surprisely this was our first time but you can bet that based on the under the radar talent we found, we'll be back next year! We release our MVPs from each class based on their live evals we got throughout the two days in Valley City and who were our bests we got live evals from on day 2.   Two-Day MVPS   -Based off our live evals from the past two days at the Valley City State LOS Camp   2030 MVP: Preston DuBord, Fargo Davies, ND   Runner Up: [player_tooltip player_id='2245878' first='Conner' last='Nelson'], Red Lake County Central, Minn   2029 MVP: [player_tooltip player_id='1703844' first='Jaster' last='Johnson'], Esko, Minn   2028 MVP: [player_tooltip player_id='2243966' first='Cohen' last='Schneider'], Minot Bishop Ryan, ND   Runner Ups: [player_tooltip player_id='1695498' first='Josh' last='Antonutti'], Esko, Minn and [player_tooltip player_id='1855881' first='Lexton' last='Smith'], Velva-Drake-Annamoose   2027 MVP: Kiefer Finley, Harvey-Wells County   Runner Up: [player_tooltip player_id='1314733' first='Parnell' last='Preston'], Fargo North    Bryce was a new name that stood out in the 2030 group of DL prospects at the Valley City LOS Camp that for his size, I thought he played with a chip on his shoulder from the reps I watched. The 6'0 180 pounder from Flasher, impressed me with his physical hand speed and violent he brought to Valley City for his age and size in the Indy reps I was able to watch on Thursday. He'll be one to track the progress over his next four varsity seasons to watch his growth progress to what I saw this week.     2030 OL MVP   Another encouraging 2030 prospect that caught our attention at the VCSU LOS Camp this week was [player_tooltip player_id='2245878' first='Conner' last='Nelson'] of Red Lake County Central. I would have to give Conner my nod for 2030 offensive line MVP. The measurables listed on my roster sheet don't include his updated measurables, but man is this young man hard to miss from the eye test, as you would think he was an upperclassmen easily. Conner was an offensive linemen that competed with urgency in the reps I got to watch as he showed off great get off speed off the snap that was fluid with his lateral movement. He had plenty of success getting to the second level, especially as a pull-blocker. His massive hand size could certainly draw quick overpowering leverage as I don't think I have met an incoming freshmen that I have been that imipressed with his size at a LOS camp before in my over seven years at PRZ. No tape, no Hudl, can't be found anywhere on the internet yet but man surely one to watch for over the next few seasons at Red Lake County Central.     Austin might have been one of the smaller kids I'll write about from my live scouting of the Valley City State LOS Camp, but one that surely outplayed his measurables on a handful of reps I watched on Thursday. The reps I watched, Austin put together some impressive leverage on a couple bigger DL opponents. Even when he got off balance, he was able to refit his hands in with quick positioning to regain leverage. Really was intirgued with the way too that Austin finished on his reps during the time I watched him Valley City on Thursday. With his wrestling background, surely one that I'll have to watch the growth he can make with three more seasons under his belt with the Wildcats from Northwestern Area.     One of the underclassmen that caught my attention the special teams session of the Valley City LOS Camp on Thursday was West Fargo Horace's [player_tooltip player_id='2246675' first='Nickolas' last='Nystrom']. The 6'1 160 pounder was one that had the hip flexibility to dig down deep to find the football quickly. His athleticism peaked watching him scoop up the ball and take it, appearing as one of the better athletes I saw during that particular drill especially in the 2029 group.     We've seen plenty of underclassmen rise their stock from Pequot Lakes out of their 2029 class, but at the Valley City State LOS camp [player_tooltip player_id='2245879' first='Jacob' last='Buckentin'] was a 2028 prospect that caught my attention during the live evals from Thursday afternoon in Valley City. He's a prospect that was hard to miss on the eye test even though I don't have measurables on him from camp at the moment. Jacob impressed me with how quickly he got his hand wired up from a power perspective off the snap. Not only the power was generated from Jacob quickly, but the twitch he showed off with getting his hands off blockers was another skillset that intirgued me. He's another one that is a "wait and see" prospect with no tape that I could find as of yet.     Best Duo from Battle of Baghdad   Killian was one that I caught onto towards the end of Thursday afternoon when Valley City State put their athletes in attendance thru the Battle of Baghdad, which Killian and his teammate from Bismarck St. Mary's were a couple of my favorite athletes from that grinder of a final drill from camp. He showed off a competive high motor during this drill consistently from what I watched. He also was more sudden than you would expect with his measurables around the box with his hands and showed how quick he could utilze them when he got off blocks to find the ball carrier (rabbit) swirling around the box. One of a few of my winners that stood out in the Battle of Baghdad in Valley City.     The city of Fosston showed off a few names that caught my attention at the Valley City State LOS Camp, with one of those few being 2028 defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='2246669' first='Aiden' last='Larson']. He might show more of a fit as a linebacker, due to the athleticism I saw in his reps. He impressed me with his squared up pursuit angles he showed off in the few reps I got to watch on Thursday afternoon in Vikings Country. He also brought together that downhill movement you want to see on the defensive side of the ball, which again translates more as a linebacker for the 6'0 180 pounder. Sleeper to watch for out of Fosston for sure.     Bauer might have been one of the smaller prospects you'll see on this list from a measurables standpoint but man did this kid show off the grinder mentality you wanted to see in the reps I got ot watch. Very physical hands that he displayed for his size and showed the hand quickness when he needed to refit his hands to regain leverage. Seems to be more of a fit at linebacker, but man seeing his blue-collar work ethic in a trenches setting at camp, was intriguing.     Lexton came into the Valley City LOS Camp as our third ranked EDGE rusher in the North Dakota 2028 class and by the end I felt he moved the needle to be up higher than that. He brought not only fiery hands getting off blocks but over time watching rep after rep from Lexton you could see the progression he made especially gaining better positioning to getting ideal pursuit angles to make tackles in the box. He's surely one that the live eval really puts him as a 2028 prospect that could move up double-digit spots by our next 2028 rankings update.     A new name to my South Dakota 2027 radar that I got to watch in Valley City is one of very few West River attendees which was Rapid City Central's [player_tooltip player_id='2245877' first='Titus' last='Beaver']. It didn't take long to see the high motor that this young man played with in the trenches. The 5'10 195 pounder, was pretty unphased going up against bigger competition out of the OL group as on his release of his hands you could just feel the grind that Titus was playing with boosting physical hands with his get off and launching quickly downhill with well-versed pursuit angle to make a tackle. The Cobblers don't return a lot in their 2027 class, but look for this kid to be a key factor that has position flexibility.     Everywhere I have camped around the Dakotas and Minnesota this summer, I have found at least one kid out of Pequot Lakes that caught my eyes which was the case even this week with my gauntlet of camps I was since Tuesday. That name that caught my attention at the Valley City LOS Camp was Blaine Kriesel III in the Patriots 2028 class. The 5'11 230 pounder was one of the better underclassmen I watched shedding thru double teams, as his tight penetration ability gained fluid power off blocks to shed in between the DL blocks in very tight space. I could tell this was a 2028 OL prospect that could thrive with the small details with what I watched on Thursday afternoon in Valley City.     One of the more eye-catching offensive linemen in Thursdays group from the Valley City LOS Camp, was McCray 2028 offenisve linemen [player_tooltip player_id='2245880' first='Gavin' last='Gueningsman']. The 6'3 260 pounder was one of the more well-rounded offensive linemen in attendance from a size and frame perspective, yet he showed off what we wanted to see at the point of attack with that noted size with his skillsets. He was very quick with his hands showing off agile hands from my live eval I got in Valley City on Thursday afternoon. He's one that the couple reps I watched were dominant, and surely is one that I wish I watched more reps out of during camp in those two days in Valley City.     Best Duo from Battle of Baghdad   One of the best duos from the same school in the Battle of Baghdad at the Valley City State LOS Camp came from Bismarck St. Mary's as 2028 offensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='1975042' first='Drake' last='Aman'] was one of the two that impressed me on Thursday afternoon. Drake was one of the most gritty competitors I saw when it came to block destruction, as he showed not only the quickness you wanted to see getting off blocks to find the ball carrier but showed off overwhelming power in a tight rectanglar box that the Battle of Baghdad took place in. He came in as our OL16 in the 2028 class in North Dakota, but surely is one that I like moving into the top 15 after what I saw in Valley City.     We have found a plethora of talent out of EEK over the years, but one sleeper that we found at the Valley City State LOS Camp was 6'2 205 pounder [player_tooltip player_id='2246678' first='Ross' last='Fredenberg']. Ross was one that you needed to be in Valley City to see as there's no tape that I could find out there, but the defensive end showed off sound pursuit angles once he got off his blocks which were squared up well in the reps I watched out of Ross. Not only did I like the pursuit angles, the well-versed violent hands were intriguing to watch as I feel there's even more violent that could come thru for this kid based on the upside I see. He's one that could be a senior bloomer out of EEK for sure.     There were a few prospects with the Olson last name that caught attention at the Valley City LOS Camp with one being [player_tooltip player_id='2246699' first='Mason' last='Olson'] out of Brandon-Evanville. He might have been one of the more undersized OLs in the 2027 group in Valley City, but had some skillsets that popped out. The reps I watched out of Mason showed off a solid ability to anchor a charging blocker and stop him in his tracks, as Mason also showed off well-versed footwork with his positioning during the pass-protection reps I got to watch. This kid is one that tells you sometimes it's not the size of the bull, it's the fight of the bull in his case in the offensive trenches.     Another 2027 prospect that I felt reaped the "fight of the bull, not size of the bull" mentality at the Valley City State LOS Camp was Red Lake County Central 2027 offensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='2246706' first='Gavin' last='Roisland']. Gavin I believe is one of the most undersized offensive linemen that I could find that hit my notebook on Thrusday, but his strength in the trenches outweighted the size he had at his disposal. He also was technically sound in the reps I watched from a hands perspective as he showed off balanced pad-level in the reps I watched along with that strength I mentioned. He didn't have the longest arms you might have seen, but his one-armed reach was effective in what I watched from Valley City.     A 2027 prospect that caught my attention not once, but twice for the reps he put together on Thursday was Northern Cass's [player_tooltip player_id='2246754' first='Luke' last='Walski']. On the first time, Luke was one that was pointed out to me from one of the college coaches in attendance and it didn't take long to unleash some of the most physical hands I saw in the two days I was at the Valley City State LOS Camp. Luke was one of the more well-rounded prospects I found on both sides of the trenches as offensively he showed off a sound looking pass-set stance from my eyes when I watched the pass-protection drills with a front row seat. Light on the tape, but surely could be one that has a great shot to play on Saturdays.     I got to watch Levi a handful on both days at the Valley City State LOS Camp, and I thought Thursday was his best day of the two in the reps I watched. Where Levi caught my attention most came in pass-protection drills, as he was one of the more fluid pull-blockers out of the 2027 OL group that I go to watch on Thursday morning and afternoon. The 6'1 260 pounder from Stanley, is one that the growth he's made since his junior year intrigues me and surely has some upside to continue to grow into his senior season.   <a href="https://x.com/LeviUran67" id="https://x.com/LeviUran67">TWITTER</a>     Another offensive linemen that boosted the size profie from the jump on Thursday at the Valley City LOS Camp is another new name to our Minneseota 2027 class which is East Grand Forks [player_tooltip player_id='2246696' first='Ayden' last='Nolte']. The 6'4 240 pounder as you could imagine, had some force with his hands at the point of attack and showed quick growth in the reps I watched by being coachable, as that contributed to better hand placement by the final reps I watched from Ayden. I think we found a 2027 sleeper with some upside left to be untapped, as I can't even find Ayden on EGF's Hudl as of yet.     It's evident that the Valley City State coaching staff saw what I saw at their LOS Camp, as Thompson's [player_tooltip player_id='1300130' first='Elijah' last='Conrad'] was one of the first few out of North Dakota 2027s that picked up an offer from the Vikings. What I saw out of Elijah, was a DL that knew how to work his hands and did so by showing how elusive he could be when getting off the OLs he went up against in his group. Not only has Elijah taken a step forward when it comes to his agile hands from what I saw in the live eval in Valley City, he surely showed more start to finish forcefulness in his lower body which drove upwards into the speed his upper body showed off on back to back days at the LOS Camp. He's catching his recruiting steam in July and I feel there could be more coming on the recruiting trail for Elijah.   <a href="https://x.com/ElijahConrad32" id="https://x.com/ElijahConrad32">TWITTER</a>

We pile thru another several pages of our notebook from Thursday's session at the Valley City State LOS Camp which has now gone 29 years strong in Valley, yet surprisely this was our first time but you can bet that based on the under the radar talent we found, we'll be back next year! We release our MVPs from each class based on their live evals we got throughout the two days in Valley City and who were our bests we got live evals from on day 2.